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Second Defence of Morgen Schwach
The Second Defence of Morgen Schwach was the second notable Imperial defensive campaign carried out by the Mordekaisers Space Marine Chapter against invading Forces of Chaos, when their Chapter's starport of Morgen Schwach came under assault. The nearly overwhelmed Chapter was only saved from defeat through the timely arrival of the Indomitus Crusade. Background Following the destruction of the vital fortress world of Cadia by the Chaos forces of Abaddon the Despoiler,the Eye of Terror, burst open and opened a galaxy-wide tear in reality, known as the Cicatrix Maledictum, the tear extended from the Segmentum Obscurus to the Eastern Fringe of the Segmentum Ultima. With the veil of reality torn asunder, this allowed the creatures of the Immaterium as well as the Traitor Legions and various Chaos Warbands to pour into realspace. Strife, insurrection and slaughter soon erupted on thousands of worlds across the width and breadth of the galaxy. Warp rifts across the Galaxy were equally affected, including the rift of Malefactus, located in the Ghoul Stars, which tore open and spewed countless daemonic entities, warbands and renegades from the warp. In their path, was Morgen Schwach, space port and home to the Mordekaisers Chapter. Still under strength from the heavy losses they suffered in the Magrin War, the Mordekaisers were outnumbered yet they rallied nonetheless in the defense of their home for the second time in their history. For, as descendants of the Imperial Fists, sons of Rogal Dorn would never back down. The Defense The Mordekaisers met the oncoming hordes outside Morgen Schwach, the Chapter Fleet as well as the port's own defenses at the ready. The tides of Chaos crashed into them like a storm and a vicious fight commenced. The Mordekaisers mastery of void warfare proved to be the death of many daemonships and renegade ships and the Chapter's flagship, the Void Beast, waded through the tides like a hungry predator as it tore apart ships with it's mighty cannons or dragged in unfortunate vessels with it's Ursus Claws so that it's hungry occupants within might board and destroy them. The escort Hull-Breaker earned it's name over and over as it's strengthened front rammed through cruisers twice it's size and Morgen Schwach's own fleet carried out heroic feats that would be spoke of until the end of days. Alas, the tide of Chaos was vast in number and the defenders were slowly pushed back, the 3rd Company's strike cruiser Tempest was crippled and there were few of the Chapter's ships left that had not sustained some damage. Though unwilling to retreat, but not foolish enough to stay and be destroyed, Kaiser Markus Diascalon ordered a retreat back to Morgen Schwach. The 3rd evacuated the Tempest, save for a single Astartes and a group of serfs who valiantly stayed behind and detonated the strike cruiser as the tides of Chaos enveloped it, taking over a dozen of the foes' ships with it. Blood in the Void Though the defending fleets were not gone, they had taken heavy losses and not even the many defenses of the space port could keep out the invaders. Daemons, renegades and Heretic Astartes breached the hangars and entered the port to find the regrouped Mordekaisers, the Adeptus Arbites and even the common citizen waiting for them. Just like the Mordekaisers, those able picked up a gun joined the defense of their home. The defenders fought viciously, using their knowledge of the port's layabouts to ambush and confound the forces of Chaos or held the passageways and docks stubbornly. However Chaos is subtle as much as it is blunt and many civilians fell to the whispers and temptations of daemons, causing great disruption in the lines. To their credit, however, there many more who spat back the lies of Chaos and cast them back into the warp. Aid Unexpected It was at this point that something most unexpected occurred. As the forces of Chaos slowly advanced, they found themselves suddenly under attack from all directions; hidden machine gun nests sprang from nowhere and cut down masses of renegades and floor panels unexpectedly opened and sent entire squads of Heretic Astartes plummeting to their deaths in the depths of Morgen Schwach while war machines found themselves disabled and wrecked by thrown explosives. To the defender's surprise, the gangs and lowlifes of the underlevels in Morgen Schwach had emerged to take arms against Chaos. The dwellers of the underlevels put aside their distrust and fear of the Mordekaisers to fight against a more dangerous foe. The gangs, who knew the tunnels like the backs of their hand, proved to be a lethal knife in the side of the Forces of Chaos as ambushes claimed countless warriors, daemons and machines. The First Kaiser Walks Still, mere bravery and heroics weren't enough and the Mordekaisers were forced to unleash the full might of their armoury; every dreadnought, of which the Chapter has in high numbers, were awakened from their dreamless sleep and sent into battle. Then the four Contemptor Dreadnoughts, whose sarcophagi held some of the most heroic brothers of the Chapter, were awakened. They charged into the invaders, enraged that filth like these would dare invade their home. But that wasn't all, for Diascalon reluctantly ordered the awakening and unleashing of the two dreaded Leviathan Dreadnoughts who were feared as much as revered by the Chapter. Leading the awakened dreadnoughts into battle was none other than Willafried, the first Kaiser of the Chapter, whose inner rage was not dulled by the sarcophagus, who charged towards the army of chaos with a vox amplified roar. Willafried and his fellow Leviathan, Ancient Snyda, rampaged through the halls of Morgen Schwach, becoming the personification of death to the forces of Chaos as they tore through hordes of daemons and traitors or ripped daemonic constructs apart. Whilst the Contemptor dreadnoughts delivered their own form of vengeance. Despite the onslaught of dreadnoughts, the Mordekaisers' losses were mounting and every Kompanie had taken severe casualties. The Arbites and militia fared little better though each one died valiantly. But the Forces of Chaos seemed without number and showed little sign of slowing down and, though the defenders made them pay dearly for every step, the loss of Morgen Schwach seemed inevitable. Even faced with this prospect did the Mordekaisers not bow, instead they reloaded their bolters and prepared to go down fighting. Hope Arrives It was then that a fleet came out from the warp. Leading it was a vessel that the Mordekaisers only knew of through legends and stories from a time when the Emperor still walked among his subjects, it was the Macragge's Honour and the flagship of Ultramarines Primarch Roboute Guilliman and the forces of his Indomitus Crusade. Inspired by the sight of the Gloriana Class Battleship lay waste to swathes of the Chaos fleet in minutes, the fleets of Morgen Schwach rallied and plunged into the fray. On the space port itself, transports disgorged the mighty Primarch and other warriors, including space marines the Mordekaisers had not seen before. These marines were bigger and wore an unknown mark of power armour and wielded unknown patterns of weaponry. Regardless, the Mordekaisers and the defenders of Morgen Schwach joined the Primarch in battle and slaughtered the Forces of Chaos. Within an hour there was not a single Heretic Astartes, renegade or daemon left on the space port. A seemingly impossible victory had been achieved. Aftermath The Primarch's Gift The battle was won but not without cost. The Mordekaisers had taken serious losses, with many Kompanies depleted and many of the heroic dreadnoughts had fallen, including one of the ancient Contemptors, though a small comfort could be taken from the fact that the Contemptor's sarcophagi was intact. As for the rest of Morgen Schwach thousands of lives were lost. Either those who had stood against the forces of Chaos or innocents caught in the path of the heretics. Many ships had been destroyed too, fighting until the end. It would be some time until everything was restored. After the battle, Roboute Guilliman spoke with Kaiser Markus Diascalon. He offered a salute of respect to the Mordekaisers for holding out where others would have broken. He was aware of their role as watchers over the Ghoul Stars and acknowledged it's importance, going on to say that it has become more vital now that the warp has become more dangerous than before. To continue their task and allow them to rebuild once more; he gave them a gift in the form of the Primaris Space Marines. This new breed of Astartes were superior to the old Astartes in many breed and offered the chance of the Imperium's hope remaining alive. Though the Kaiser was humbled by the Primarch's praise, he could not help but see the Primaris as replacements and he was not the only one would think this. Even so, to decline a Primarch would be foolish and he accepted the Primaris into the Mordekaisers. A while later, the Indomitus Crusade departed to a new warzone with a contingent of Mordekaisers, reinforced by the Primaris, with them. The 5th Company, depleted from the Magrin War and further brought low by the Defence of the space port, was rebuilt almost entirely of Primaris and efforts to rebuild Morgen Schwach were underway. For the people of Morgen Schwach, the population quickly reached it's former numbers. This time, everyone knew the true dangers of the Galaxy and knew they could beat it. The people of Morgen Schwach stood proud, defiant of the sinister touch of Chaos. As for the gangs those who aided in the defence of Morgen Schwach found employ as hunters who scoured the underlevels for any surviving heretic or beast as well as gaining a new bond of trust between them and the Mordekaisers who allowed them to willingly send recruits to the Chapter from then on. The beginning of the 42nd Milennium had tested the Mordekaisers but the enduring sons of Dorn lived through it defiantly. Now reinforced and renewed, the Mordekaisers would continue their duty to the Imperium. Category:Campaigns Category:History Category:Imperial Campaigns Category:Mordekaisers Category:Space Marines